Three weeks before the European Championship: DFB leaders visit the Sunyard
by Larissa Denz
It's getting closer and closer! In less than three weeks, the European Football Championship will kick off in Germany. Preparations are underway and the tension is rising. The German Football Association (DFB) is also entering the hot phase with the training camp in Weimarer Land.
Nevertheless, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Managing Director Andreas Rettig took the time for a panel discussion in the BurdaForward editorial offices. They were welcomed by BurdaForward Co-CEO Lydia Rullkötter and Managing Director Richard Weber. BurdaForward editor-in-chief Carsten Fiedler led the talk together with sports editor Dominik Rosing.
In it, the association's leaders spoke in detail about the most important topics surrounding the tournament in their own country.
For example, they talked about how the negotiations with national coach Julian Nagelsmann, who has extended his contract until 2026, went. However, they did not want to “cheat” FC Bayern, who had tried to bring the coach back, as Rettig assured with a smile.
The one-hour talk covered the successful marketing campaigns for the jersey release and the squad announcement, as well as the association's financial situation, which has stabilized thanks to the new sponsorship agreements with VW and Nike. Although the two DFB bosses could understand the huge outcry following the change of supplier from Adidas to Nike from an emotional point of view, they were particularly critical of the polemical voices from the world of politics. There has already been a discussion with Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).
Of course, it was sporting too! Both DFB bosses are full of confidence and optimism for the home European Championship. There is great confidence in Nagelsmann. A summer fairytale 2.0? Possible, but “every tournament writes its own stories,” said Neuendorf, who is looking forward to the packed stadiums and fan miles.
Finally, the DFB leadership focused on a topic that is very important to the association. After the tournament, there will be a huge rush of children and young people to the clubs. Neither the association nor the politicians are prepared for this. Rettig calls for sport in general to be given a higher status in society again: “Sport is the key to many things. When it comes to health, integration and language, sport can contribute to all of these issues.”
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Larissa Denz
BurdaForward Communications
My work as a communications student intern at BurdaForward has been with me throughout my entire studies, starting with my bachelor's degree and now continuing with my master's. But it's precisely there, in corporate communications, where everything comes together and you're always close to the action, that I feel right at home. When I'm not at home working on my master's thesis, I'm usually out and about, whether on spontaneous city trips or hiking and skiing in the mountains.